Fence-post



IINTTED STATES PATENT Vill-ENCE. l

LUTHER MATTHEWS, or UNioN cITY, TENNESSEE.

FENCE-POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 607,258, dated July 12, 1898.

Application filed NOVSmbSI 19,1897. Renewed J'une 17, 1898. Serial No. 683,764. (No model.)

T0 tZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUTHER MATTHEWS, a citizen of the United States, residin g at Union City, in the county of Obion and State of Tennessee, have invented a certain new and useful Improvementin Fence-Posts, of which the following is a specification.

I have produced a metal-bound plastic post wherein the binding forms a casing of angleplates vfor protecting the corners of the plastic from being broken or chipped ott' and for giving the post greater strength. Cross-ties embedded in the plastic are fastened to the angle-plates to hold them together and to the plast-ic body, and for this purpose the ties may be wrapped around the corner-plates diagonall y, or the ties may be fastened to lips upset on the inner walls of the corner-plates, in which case the lips are embedded in the plastic and serve to lock the angle-plates to the plastic body. The ties may be of wire or of bands hooked to the inner Walls'of the angie-plates or fastened to their outer-walls, and such bands serve to give to the cornerplates when set up the square form of the post. The angle -plates may be provided with Wire ties for fastening the line-wires to the sides of the post. In these particulars the accompanying drawings illustrate the improvements, and in the claims I will specifically set out the said improvements.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l shows in vertical section my improved metal-bound plastic post, the section being taken diagonally through the corners to show the crossties for the angle-plates embedded in the body of the post. the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section showing the top forming-band set within lockinglips on the inner Walls of the angie-plates. Fig. 4t is a horizontal section showing the cross-ties fastened to inner wall-lips of the angle-plates; and Fig. 5 is a detail side view of the post, showing the line-wire fastened to the corner angle-plates- The post maybe made of any suitable plastic material, such as concrete or asphaltum mixed with animal or vegetable Vliber molded into form with a metal binder, which is in-A closed Within the mold, so that the operation of molding the post binds and ties within the Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of` corner angle-plates, the tics whereof are embedded in the plastic, so that the plastic post is formed and produced com plete With its co1'- ners metal-protected. For this p u rpose I make a frame of corner angle-plates 1 the length of the post and hold them into form by square bands 2 2 at the top and at the bottom of the an gie-plates. Forthis purpose the bands may be soldered or otherwise secured to the outer sides of the angle-plates, as at the top of the post in Fig. l, or the bands may be seated upon lips 3, upset on the inner walls ot' the angle-plates, as at the bottom of the lpost in said ligure. These bands, Whether placed on the outer or on the inner sides of the angleplates, give the square form to the cornerplates when set up, so that they serve the double purpose of giving the square form of the post to the angle-corners and of locking them together in such form.

At points about eighteen inches apart between the forming-bands the angle cornerplates are tied together by cross-ties il, preferably of wire wrapped around the angleplates and twisted together diagonally across the corners and thereby give a iirm binding hold of the angle-plates upon the corners o'l' the molded plastic body, as in Fig. 2. The same effect is obtained by fastening the crossties to lips 5, upset 011 the inner walls of the angle-plates, as in Figs. 3 and fl, in which case the upset lips are embedded in the plas tic body and serve thereby asV locks securin g the angle-plates to the plastic, as in Fig. 3.

The ties placed diagonally give a true set to the an gle-plates and strengthen the plastic body at its corners.

rlhe line-Wires G may be passed through holes in the plastic body, as in Fig. 2, or they may be fastened to a wooden strip 7 ,embedded vertically in the plastic at one side of the post, as in said ligure; but I prefer to fasten the line-wires to the angle-plates by tie-wires S, fixed in holes in said plates at one side of the post,- as in Figs. 4 and 5. In this case the tie-Wires would be looped in the holes at the inner side of the plates, having the outer ends of the wires freeto be twisted around 'theline-Wires, so that When the molded metalbound post is produced these ties Will be se cured to the plates by the plastic, so that IOO their ends can be turned out and twisted around the line-wires. It is evident that a forming-band may be used around the outer side of the post to inish oit the top and pre- Vent the breaking of the corners, while an interior band 9 may be seated in upset lips, so that in twisting the diagonal cross-ties the angle plates may thereby be drawn tight against the forming-bands.

As the upset lips stand upward, the forming-bands seated upon them act to draw the angle-plates inward against the said bands and hold them in proper relative positions, while in placing the tie-wires they give a positive inward pull upon the angle-plates, bind ing them upon the forming-bands.

Metal-bound plastic posts may be made and furnished the trade as articles of manufacture and the metal binder-frame made of gal- Vanized sheet-iron or of other malleable metal Vfrom which the lips may be upset, as stated, and they may be of any suitable finish for the purpose intended.

I claiml.. A plastic molded fence-post, combined with corner angle-plates and cross-ties connecting the an gle-plates and embedded in the plastic body.

El. A plastic molded fence-post combined with angle corner-plates, bands for holding the plates in form for the post and cross-tie wires connecting the angle-plates and binding-plates having ties for the line-wires, and

cross-ties binding the angle-plates together and upon the corners of the molded post.

4. The combination with a plastic molded fence-post, oi corner angle-plates having interior upset lips, forming-bands seated upon said lips, and cross-ties binding the angleplates together and embedded within the plastic body.

5. As a new manufacture, a molded plastic post for wire fences having corner angleplates, forming-bands and cross-ties holding the angle -plates together wherein and to which the plastic body is molded, and provided with means whereby to secure the linewires.

G. A plastic molded post for wire fences, combined with a metal biilding-frame formed of corner angle-plates having upset lips on their inner walls and cross-tie wires 'fastened to said lips.

In testimony whereof l have hereunto signed this specification in the presence of witnesses.

LUTI IER MATT] IE WS. lVi tnesses:

M. A. BLANTON, XV. CRITTENDON. 

